Spreader structure



Patented Jan. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICBIJ;

JOSEPH R. BIT'INER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GRIFFITHTOOL WORKS, A FIRM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, COMPOSED OF PAUL A.GRIFFITH, WILLIAM K. WILSON, EDVJARD J. GRIFFITH, AND CHARLES F. GRIFFITH.

SPREADER STRUCTURE.

Application filed November 21, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH R. BITTNER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SpreaderStructures, of which the following is a specification.

This application constitutes, in part, a continuation of my application,Serial No. 531,698, filed January 25, 1922, and the invention relates tostructures for spreading or expanding a member of wood or other suitableor similar material in a socket,

' to effect a firm or rigid connection between the said member and thesocket.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved form offastening device for securing together members such as tool handles andtools and to provide means whereby the expanding devices may be resetfrom time to time as occasion may require.

More specifically, my inventionconsists in providing a wedge that may bedriven into the end of a tool handle, to expand the same within thesocket of a tool, and a combined locking and spreading member that maybe driven against the head of the wedge to force the wedge farther intothe handle, and which serves as a locking member to retain the wedge inplace and also acts as an expanding or spreading member for the woodenhandle.

Heretofore, locking members have been provided for holding wedges inposition within the end of a tool handle, but such members are merelystaples, the prongs of which spread apart when driven home. Difficultyhas been experienced in driving the staples into position owing to thetoughness of the wood-such as hickory-whioh is commonly employed formaking tool handles. In order to overcome this objection, grooves orrecesses have been provided in wedges to permit the partial insertion ofthe staple or looking member, after which the staple is driven the shortremaining distance. Such holding means have been insecure and alsoresulted in a rough or irregularly shaped handle end. Furthermore, thewedges and locking staples have been disposed in planes at right anglesto one another, so that, with a relatively thin handle, there was notsuflicient material be- Serial No. 602,337.

tween the transversely disposed wedge or staple-as the case might beandthe side walls of the socket. Such side walls also seriously limit thewidth of the wedges or e the locking and spreading movement of thestaples. 5 i

The locking staples of the prior art serve merely as looking staples andperform no spreading function. Also, they present such small engagingsurfaces to the top of the wedges that they could not be utilized todrive the wedge farther into the handle.

The Wedge and combined locking and spreading devices of my invention arepreferably disposed in parallel planes; the locking device completelyoverlies the wedge, when driven home, and presents wide engaging surfaceto the top of the wedge to permit such resetting of the wedge as may berequired throughshrinking of the handle or otherwise.

For an illustration of some of the forms which my invention may take,reference is had to the accompanying drawing wherein v f Fig. 1 is aview, in end elevation, of a hammer and its handle equipped with mydevice.

Fig. 2 is a view thereof partially in section and partially in sideelevation.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of my wedge and locking member inpartially set position.

b Fig. 4 is an edge view of the locking mem- Fig. 5 is an edge View ofthe wedge.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views similar to those of Figs. 2, 3, at and 5,but showing a modified form of device.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the device is inserted into a handle 10 toexpand the same within the socket or eye of a hammer 11, and comprises awedge 12 and a locking member 13. The wedge maybeo-f the usual form atits forward end, for convenience of insertion and effective spreadingaction, but toward its head, has its edges 14, 15, inclined as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, to provide partial guiding surfaces for the bifurcations16 of the locking member 18. The head of the wedge 12 is flat and servesas a seat for the seating surface 17 of the locking member 13.

The oppositely disposed surfaces of the bifurcations 16 are beveled asshown in Figs.

they will not bend or collapse-when being driven into the handle. Theengaging surface 17 is also- 01 such dimension that the head oft-hemember 13 will not 'be distorted or 'broken when it is driven againstthe head of the wedge 12 toforce the wedgev farther into the handle.

The structure shown in Figs. (3 to 9 is quite similar to the t'ornrabove described, the only difference residing in the provision ofarounded head upon the wedge 12 which isengaged 'by the rounded surface17 of the locking member 13 I have thusprovided afastening device thatmay be-so 'disposedun a relatively thin handle that the device issurrounded by ample material and-is'not seriously restricted as to sizeor range of spread; that presents a substantiallysmooth exterior having:the appearance of only a-single member for holding the handle; and thathas alocking member which spreads readily and which has sutlicientstrength to resist hammer blows wheninserting the-same and which servesalso 'as an expanding member that may-also be utilized to drive thewedge farther into the handle from time to time as may be necessary, tomore tightly secure the handle in its tool.

What I claim is:

1. A locking device comprising a wedge member, a separate lockingelement overlying the head of said wedge member and pr0 vided withflared portions disposed over the edges ofsaid wedge member, andwith anengaging surface that abuts against the head of the member, whereby thewedge member may be driven through the instrumentality of blowsupon'thesaid locking element.

2. l-X fastening devicefor tool handles and the like comprising a wedgehaving. a flattened head, and a locking 'member overlying thewedge andprovided with flared. portions disposed at oppositeedges-.of said-wedge,the said lockingmember being alsoprovided with a substantially flatengaging-surface disposed between its flared portions, in: position toengage the saidflattened head of the wedge, whereby. the wedge is forcedintora handle when the locking imember'is'being driven into-said handle.I v

A fastening device for-tool handles and the like,"comprising awedgemember, and a locking: element overlying .the head of said member,thesaidwmember -and element being so disposed that the side faces ofsaid wedge member are substantially con tinuations of thesidefacesmfsai'cllocking element.

Intestimony whereof, I have hereuntoaffixed my signature this 17thdayofNovember, 1922. I

JOSEPHIRBITTNER.

